Journey to NCIS
by IMSLES
Summary: Abby found a home at NCIS.  What were her reasons that led her there?  Written for NFA's End Where I Begin Challenge.


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

JOURNEY TO NCIS

Abigail Sciuto was never your typical girl next door. The daughter of two deaf parents, she learned early on to be accepting of people who were different from the 'norm' and how to defend those people from those who were less than tolerant of them.

Her parents raised her to be a self-thinker and an individual that could clearly se right from wrong. These were reinforced through her catholic upbringing. Following the guidelines taught throughout her early schooling she learned empathy and the importance of forgiveness. Also believing in something you can't see sometimes leads others to mock you, but keeping true to your faith is the most important thing.

She had a strong desire to please her parents and e the best she could be. In school she excelled in her studies. She had an insatiable hunger when it came to discovering answers to riddles and what things were made of and what caused things to happen.

Her parents had not been born deaf, but had lost that sense in their early developmental years. Communication had never been a problem for them. From her infancy they used sign language and her beloved Uncle Alex spoke to little baby Abby and her younger brother, Arthur often.

It was a desire to find a cause to her parents' deafness that steered her into the study of science and research. Her father's soul crushing death threw her into low enforcement and forensic studies.

She had been preparing for her final exams when her brother called with the devastating news. Their father, Bernard had been murdered on his way to his car after work. He was robbed and stabbed. He had bled to death unable to get any help.

The police had arrested a suspect, but they weren't sure if all the evidence would hold up. The lawyers wanted to nail the case down before going to trial, not wanting to risk a mistrial or worse yet let him be acquitted.

When the trial began Abby sat with her mother every day listening intently to the pieces of the case. Shirley Sciuto clung to her daughter through the worst of the visual evidence, catching as much of the testimony as she could through reading lips and Abby's signing.

It was a sad victory when the trial ended and the 18 year old defendant was convicted. Abby found little satisfaction in his life being altered by prison. It did solidify her desire to be the best at forensic science and technology.

Her draw to NCIS came when Arthur had been arrested for drug dealing. She knew her little brother, a petty officer, had an aberration to drugs and would never have anything to do with them. Again she couldn't have any hands on connection to the case, but the scientist in charge did share findings with her and listened to her suggestions on the sly.

She was pleased they cleared her brother and vowed to do whatever she could to see the guilt convicted and the innocent acquitted. It was her belief, her mantra that forensics doesn't lie.

When she graduated she approached the lab that investigated her brother's case. They were impressed by her academic resume, and the scientist remembered her curious nature and inquisitiveness that benefited him in Arthur's case.

Despite her normal attire, which had turned into mostly all black clothing and a rather noticeable tattoo on her neck, they were willing to give her a position as an assistant. Abby was at home in the lab and with her new coworkers that accepted her and all her idiosyncrasies.

She was given the toughest of evidence which they though would either overwhelm her and make her quit or prove her to be a high caliber scientist. She superceded all their expectations working at times with little to no sleep, drinking large amounts of caffeine to keep herself going.

When her training period was up they offered her a part time position in their office. Abby wanted to be somewhere full time because she truly loved the work, but also because she was financially helping her mother.

She searched other offices in NCIS and found an opening in their Washington, D.C. office. She made a call, faxed her resume and a bittersweet letter of recommendation from her current boss.

It took a few weeks before she received a call to come in for an interview. Her mother tried to convince her to dress professionally in something 'normal'. Abby insisted that they hire her for who she was.

To say the director, Tom Morrow was taken aback by her appearance would be putting it mildly. He had to leave her sitting for awhile as he tried to get past the black frilly skirt that only went to her thighs and the v-cut top that thankfully wasn't too revealing. He had to admit the black lace gloves were a nice touch. The tattoo of a spider web distracted him, but as he took his time away form looking at her he perused her resume and was impressed by what he read.

He found her to be highly intelligent and answered his questions openly and eagerly. He was taken in by her warmth and cheerful disposition in contrast to the dark clothing she wore.

Director Morrow took her on a tour of the facility, intrigued to see the reaction of his MCRT's lead agent. Leroy Jethro Gibbs was as no nonsense as he'd ever come across. If Miss Sciuto could pass his muster he was going to offer her the position.

He walked into the bullpen finding Gibbs in the face of one of his agents, Stan Burley who apparently wasn't getting the answers fast enough for his boss.

"Agent Gibbs," the director called out to gain his attention.

"Director," Gibbs answered slowly taking his attention away from his agent who scrambled back to his computer to get the results required of him. He couldn't help to take notice of their guest however and only hoped he'd be able to meet her later.

Gibbs eyes did a once over the young woman, but he face let off no discernable reaction. He waited patiently for the introduction.

"Agent Gibbs, I'd like you to meet a candidate for our forensic scientist position, Abigail Sciuto."

"Please call me Abby," she smiled offering her hand.

"Abby this is Special Agent Jethro Gibbs," the director finished his introduction.

"Gibbs is fine. Nice to meet you Abby," he shook her hand impressed by her confident sturdy handshake as well as her ability to maintain eye contact with him. He smiled a half smile and nodded at the director who, if he had been less professional would've gawked at Gibbs' sign of acceptance of they young Goth-like woman.

Abby had no idea at the time nor until she was hired and worked closely on a more or less daily basis with Gibbs for a few months that his approval had been a pivotal point in her being hired. Or that he was as demanding in finding the secrets buried in forensics as she was. They were a perfect match for NCIS.


End file.
